Effects of copepodamides on diatoms

Identifier:  TFG:6949

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG6949

Authors:  Benet Caballero, Marc

Abstract:
Many pelagic organisms living in the oceans cannot perceive information from their environment in any other way than responding to chemical signalling traces. In the following study, copepodamides were extracted from the crustacean Calanus finmarchicus and inoculated in different concentrations to cultures of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi resting stages (non-hatched individuals). Results show that cell growth and division appeared to be increased in copepodamide-free cultures. The aggregation of cells forming chains appeared significantly shorter in treated groups. The levels of chlorophyll relative fluorescence seem to be higher in copepodamide-treated cultures in relation the number of cells.